1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus provided with a serial printer section.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 8 is a side view illustrating a sheet conveying mechanism of a prior-art facsimile apparatus. The facsimile apparatus, which is an example of a printing apparatus, is provided with a recording sheet feeding roller 1 and a main conveying roller 2 that convey a recording sheet in order to carry out printing thereon in the case where the facsimile apparatus receives image data transmitted thereto. On the other hand, in the case of transmission of a document, a document feeding roller 3, a document rear side roller 4 and a document discharging roller (not illustrated) that are placed in the facsimile apparatus are driven to convey the document.
A recording sheet is fed by transmitting a rotation force of a reception motor 5 to the recording sheet feeding roller 1 and the main conveying roller 2, and printing onto a recording sheet is performed by a recording head placed on an ink carriage 6. At the time of transmission of a document, the document is conveyed by transmitting a rotation force of a transmission motor 7 to the document feeding roller 3, the document rear side roller 4 and the document discharging roller.
In the case of transmission of image data of a document, a driving system for reading that is not illustrated is caused to operate by the transmission motor 7, and a plurality of loaded documents are fed one by one separated by the document feeding roller 3 and separation rubber that is not illustrated. After a fed document is conveyed to the document rear side roller 4, the documents is pressed by the document rear side roller 4, and image data is read by a document reading sensor 8 while the document is being conveyed by the document rear side roller 4. The read image data is converted to digital data, encoded by data compression or the like, and transmitted. The document that the image data has been read is discharged by the document discharging roller. In a series of operations described above, image data of a document is transmitted.
On the other hand, in the case of reception and printing of an image transmitted thereto, the reception motor 5 is reversely rotated at first, a driving portion of a recording system that is not illustrated is switched, a plurality of loaded recording sheets are separated by a separating portion 9, and the recording sheet feeding roller 1 is rotated in a clockwise direction to convey a recording sheet to the main conveying roller 2. Since the fed recording sheet may skew at this moment, a front end of the recording sheet is applied to the main conveying roller 2 to make the recording sheet parallel to the main conveying roller 2, whereby the skew is corrected. At this moment, the main conveying roller 2 is reversely rotated so that the recording sheet is not conveyed by the main conveying roller 2.
Next, the reception motor 5 is normally rotated to go into a recording and printing mode. The recording sheet that the skew has been corrected is conveyed to beneath the ink carriage 6 by the main conveying roller 2. The recording sheet is conveyed to a printing position, and the ink carriage 6 is controlled to perform printing of one line. The ink carriage 6 is made to stand by in a specified position after the printing ends, and when there is a line to print next, the recording sheet is conveyed, and the ink carriage 6 is controlled to perform printing of the next line. Thus, printing onto one recording sheet is performed.
In order to print onto a next recording sheet, the reception motor 5 is reversely rotated, and the driving portion for recording sheets is switched to go into a recording sheet feeding mode. After a recording sheet is fed, the reception motor 5 is normally rotated to go into the recording sheet printing mode. Thus, two modes of controlling the reception motor 5 so as to rotate in the normal and reverse directions are used, whereby received image data is printed onto a recording sheet.
As described above, in the art illustrated in FIG. 8, reading of a document and recording and printing onto a recording sheet are performed by using different motors, but such an art is also disclosed that a solenoid is used to switch a gear and one motor is used to perform reading of a document and reception (refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 11-310352 (1999), for example).
In such an art illustrated in FIG. 8 that a reception motor is used in a recording and printing operation and a transmission motor is used in a reading operation, two motors are required, and a place for installing the motors is large. Further, in the art of JP-A 11-310352, a solenoid is necessary for switching, and the cost is high.